March 26, 2024 -- Olivia Posts Her Last High School Soccer Note -- Won't Be Going To State

March 26, 2024

Hi, Olivia,

Your soccer note tonight hit me like a ton of bricks. I was overwhelmed with sadness; I re-lived a decade of memories in the blink of an eye.

Your grandmother and I were with you from your first days with Kiki in Belmont / Boston. And then the transition from Massachusetts to Texas. Year after year after year of driving you to soccer practice and going to so many games in all kinds of weather and to see the pinnacle of success last year when, as a junior, you were named (a) captain of the team and took your team to state.

With public school soccer, club soccer, and ODP soccer, we drove you to so many practice fields and soccer stadiums. So many of my most wonderful memories are of our longer trips to practice fields, like Rockwell (ODP) about 45 minutes east of here. I got to learn the geography of Texas by taking you to soccer events and Arianna to water-polo practice and tournaments. I remember so many little things about all those trips, I think you would be surprised.

I did not know you had a game tonight. I was upset that we were not there, but grammy said it was an “away-game” and instead we went to watch Sophia play her game in Oak Grove Park. I remarked to Sophia on the way through Grapevine that the trip out to Oak Grove brought back so many memories of driving you to the same soccer field for practice and for games. Little did I know that while remembering those trips, you were playing what would be your last game.

And, then watching Sophia play. Oh, my goodness, she looked just like you and played just like you when you were her age. Sophia has said many times she learned so much from watching you; she was always so appreciative of the time you spent with her teaching her soccer. And, wow, she looked just like you tonight.

You mentioned you were the only one to score a PK point tonight in your last game. Ironically, Sophia also scored the only point for her team, in a game, her team also lost. Sophia was so thrilled with scoring that only point, winning/losing that game did not matter.

You brought us years — a decade —of wonderful memories through soccer. It’s going to take me a long time to get over my sadness.


Papa